


Five Years

by KazueEmiko



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Battle, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fights, Hugs, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Minor Character Death, Missing in Action, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, War, also this is what if the empire went against the church, i tried to alter so many concepts in order to prevent major spoilers, lots of hugs, waiting game, well implied at the end with a few sentences only lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 11:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20063293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: It has been five years since Edelgard had lost Byleth from the battle against the Church of Seiros. Now an emperor to the Adrestian Empire, will her search for the professor continue to reveal fruitless results?





	Five Years

**Author's Note:**

> So I finally got to the half-way point in the game with the time skip. My goodness, this game is glorious. In order to prevent major spoilers from ruining anyone's gaming experiences as of this post's date, I altered many concepts to lessen the effect. This will cause some inaccuracies in the original plot and interactions. Other than that, I hope you enjoy reading this! I really enjoyed writing this. :)

A lot has happened in five years.

Five years since the Leicester Alliance, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Adrestian Empire waged war with each other.

Five years since Edelgard sparked war against the church.

Five years since the emperor ascended into power for the empire.

Five years since had lost the very person she loved, Byleth.

The final moment they’ve had each other was when they faced Rhea. Byleth’s knuckles paled while gripping the Sword of Creator. Edelgard’s right hand swung the large, silver axe downward. Before them stood a person held highly for the Church. Debris and battle cry tainted the monastery’s holy ground as the three exchanged silence. Dorothea and Hubert devastated the field with their terrifying spells. Caspar and Petra combined forces to punch and slash down any foes standing in their way. Bernadetta shot arrows from the distance. Lindhardt ran around the battlefield to heal his comrades. Ferdinand scattered the enemy troops with mighty swings of his lance.

If there was something Edelgard could change, she would want to change how this would be their last time together. She had hope for something more romantic—No, that’s not what she wished for. Edelgard had hoped for something more peaceful. She would do anything to be in the arms of the very person she loves forever without a single worry. The weight and burden of the rising as emperor and being one were becoming heavier with each passing day. After all, she is only 18! No one should be thrust into a role at such a young, tender age! Oh, how the universe likes to prove just how wrong Edelgard’s daydreams are.

Reality is simply unfair.

Their enemy firmed her lips. Then, as if it were staged, they inhaled at the same time. Their weapons readied in conjunction with their movement. An exhale. Byleth’s and Edelgard’s eyes sharpened as they dashed forward.

As for their foe, the mint-haired refused to withdraw nor be put down by the likes of the two traitors. A rare scowl corrupted her gentle and pure expression. Rhea had placed hope on the students. No—That wasn’t right. She had placed hope on Byleth only. The hope that brought the ex-mercenary into the monastery as an instructor despite the lack of education. It was to bring Byleth up to guide the Church. All of that ended in shamble. If Rhea lost Byleth, then she had lost everything. She would be right back at the starting point of finding a suitable leader to guide the Church of Seiros.

She raised her religious staff and aimed the tip at the charged duo. Going against the Church of Seiros was a huge mistake. All forms of punishment aren’t enough to wash away their sinful acts. Fury burned behind the archbishop’s eyes as their distance closed. Rhea would not hesitate to execute these two unlike any other sinners. Although the reasons behind their execution are simple, that only scratched the surface. Edelgard would be severely punished for stealing Byleth away from her. Had it not been for Edelgard’s existence and their secretive, romantic relationship, Byleth would have never left Rhea’s side. That foul house leader corrupted her dear Byleth! As for Byleth, she would be forced to submit to the Church for a second chance at life. Torture is a cruel term to use. Rhea would like to say it’s “indoctrination.” Should all options be exhausted, Rhea would have no choice but to dispose of her in the same manner as others who dare raise their weapon against the goddess.

Is Rhea evil? Not at all! In the name of the Goddess of Seiros, she is expelling evil. She must do everything to keep the monastery safe, even if it meant killing Byleth.

Sparks flew as their metallic weapons collided with one another. Their enemy’s steel shield kept Edelgard’s axe from digging into the woman’s chest. Bursts of flames, cutting winds, and lightning was chucked at Byleth in order to keep her at a distance. An occasional healing spell was thrown into the mix to delay the inevitable fate of death or loss from both sides. Edelgard and Byleth did not lose their conviction, and Rhea did not waver from defending the premise. It would only be a matter of time until one side falters.

“Huh?!”

Edelgard’s eyes widened as pain wracked her dominant wrist. Her axe flew out of her grip and clattered against the bloody pavement after Rhea’s physical assault. Defenseless, the emperor hurried to use the Killing Edge katana. Unsheathing took a couple of seconds. Those couple seconds led to her demise.

Or so it should have been.

For some reason, the light green-haired smoothly slid in between the two females. The Sword of Creator hummed in the air as it whipped its spiked edges upon Rhea’s falling staff. It clanged right above Edelgard’s head by mere inches. A bead of sweat rolled down from the house leader’s forehead as Byleth knocked back Rhea. The timing was a little too perfect, Edelgard mentally noted. This had always happened in every battle Byleth participated in. What was supposed to be an impossible feat became possible. What she did not know was the existence of the Divine Pulse ability. Byleth clenched her jaw until its outliners were prominent. The professor pressed onward with her relentless assault towards the archbishop without a second of hesitation. This gave enough time for Edelgard to scurry over to her fallen battle axe.

“Agh!”

Byleth was thrown back by a powerful spell from the holy maiden. It knocked the wind out of the powerful woman as a gust whipped into her abdomen. The gust was so strong, she flew backward and out of their reach. Edelgard glanced over her shoulder and cried out for her teacher’s name in the midst of the rowdy conflict.

“Byleth—!”

She could not keep her eyes on her instructor. The archbishop swung the staff once again at Edelgard’s head. If she hadn’t ducked, she would have had a concussion at the very least! As much as she wishes to rush by Byleth side, she was physically unable to do so. Edelgard’s brows furrowed.

“How dare you hurt our professor!” she reeled her axe back. “You’ll pay for that!”

Momentum forced the heavy blade to horizontally slash at their enemy. The other woman immediately leaped backward to avoid the strike. Sure enough, the sharp ends barely touched her decorated robes. The high beings must have graced her life with luck to prevent a devastating blow into her ribcage! Edelgard bore her teeth and felt a surge of determination rise within her.

The next strike cannot miss. It absolutely cannot.

It certainly didn’t miss. It struck with the shield’s surface and lightly bounced from contact.

Byleth eventually returned to earth and skidded back-first on the concrete surface. Her vision temporarily faded. She was shaken and scrambled to her two feet. A sharp, stabbing pain pierced right into her sensory receptors the moment she straightened her posture. Byleth stumbled sideway. Sweat gleamed on her face as she placed a hand on her abdomen. Unfortunately, despite the heavy armor and chainmail, the wind sliced through most of the protective layers. Byleth lips whitened from the blood staining her retracted palm. If she wore anything less than what she has now…

The ex-mercenary narrowed her eyes and clenched the sword’s handle. No use trying to imagine herself sliced in half. When Byleth took a couple of steps forward, the tolerance for her injury lessened. The woman found herself wincing with every single movement, tears sprouting from the corner of her eyes. Not even the adrenaline can pump enough of its hormones to temporarily numb the wound. She is clearly unfit for battle as of now. Byleth had no choice but to wait in one spot for someone to cast a healing spell.

And so Lindhardt came. The young man popped from the corner of a demolished structure at a distant. Seeing his professor in a pinch, the white magus flipped through one of his five books as fast as possible. He chanted silently and motioned his hand towards Byleth.

A bright green light emitted from Byleth’s cut in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, Lindhardt’s dedication to excel in white magic paid off in his Physic spell. All that was left behind was a faint scar exposed to the public. The instructor allowed a small smile to grace her lips for him before returning back to her girlfriend’s side.

This delay to reunite with Edelgard came at a deadly cost.

Rhea managed to shoot lighting directly at Edelgard’s chest amok their violent exchange. As her armor was metallic and the spell was cast at dangerous proximity, it was obvious that the damages amplified. An unbearable heat tore through her nervous system and threatened to shatter her skeletal system as she screamed. The shaken student was soon brought down to her knees, her fingers pried from the axe’s handle. Edelgard’s head lowered.

_‘ I have to move! ‘_

Alas, her body did not heed to her commands. She was paralyzed. The strength applied to her muscles only resulted in twitches and spasms. Unable to raise her head, that gave the archbishop plenty of time to land a critical hit. Would she taunt? Would she belittle her now-failed attempt to siege the monastery? Or would she have second thoughts?

Rhea wasn’t one to wait around though. The staff made immediate contact with the white-haired’s head. Pain exploded from within her skull. It would be to no surprise if her brain rattled out of its stem too from how strong the strike was! Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed her senses. Then, she slumped to the side as the ringing in her ears slowly subsided. Edelgard’s vision was littered with dark spots as the mint-haired woman elevated her weapon for the final beat.

Is this how her life is going to end…? After all of that hard work and sacrifice, was it all going to end like this?

Edelgard would laugh out loud if that were possible, her lips quivered. How ironic. The pathway she walks is full of bloodshed. One of the crimson stains had apparently derived from her own. At least she tried… though failure to reclaim what her father had lost and strived was supposed to be unforgivable.

A strong gust blew right over her laid figure. It was fast and it was sudden.

The source? It was Edelgard’s prince charming—though this prince charming was a woman no older than her by three years. Byleth dipped her fingers into the mysterious and extraordinary power than dwells from within her soul. Incredible vigor trickled into the ex-mercenary’s limbs as the blade swiped at the stick. In just a single motion, the staff cleanly snapped in half. Furthermore, Byleth returned the favor at Rhea. The stony expression hardening as the sword’s edges slid alongside her chest. Rhea let out an agonized shriek, the blood drained from her face.

“Y-You—!”

She hastily backed away from Byleth. Edelgard blinked from beneath as she watched her teacher. As expected, she has frightening strength. The light green-haired female flicked the blood-coated blade downward. An aggressive blotch of crimson splattered upon the patterned walkway.

“I suggest you surrender,” Byleth frowned. “Don’t make me cut you down.”

Rhea grimaced. “Not in a million years.”

As if someone had tactically plotted in advanced, the holy maiden was engulfed in bright purple light. She disappeared in mere seconds. Byleth clicked her tongue and harshly exhaled. She had warped. Where did she travel and who performed the spell? It could be anyone from the Church of Seiros. At least they won this fight. The monastery is now theirs. Before she could even formulate another thought, a faint groan emitted from behind her back. Her heart sank.

“El!” Byleth whipped around and ran towards the axe-wielder. She sheathed her weapon and roughly got down to her knees. “No… oh no…”

She held Edelgard in her tingling arms and thoroughly examined the female’s injuries. Edelgard’s eyes were barely opened. Her chest rose and fell rapidly alongside a trail of blood sliding down the side of her head. She could barely bring up her hands to touch Byleth’s cheeks like she always has done. Byleth’s brightly-color eyes became watery. The expression that Edelgard is making is the same exact expression Jeralt has made.

_‘ Not this again. Please, not this again! ‘_

She had barely gotten over the death of her father, Jeralt. How would she recover if Edelgard were to die too! One of Byleth’s hand began to gently emit a green light as she pressed them on the emperor’s temple. Since she had exerted so much energy in the fight, it is worrisome if her white magic would falter. Should it falter, she would be unable to cast it again. A worst-case scenario would wait before the two. Although Byleth was never a devout follower to any religious concept, just this once, the professor begged under her breath.

“Sothis, please give me strength…”

Tears streamed down her face. This was the first time she has ever shed them for Edelgard. She tried to hold them back but only more fell. Byleth hung her head as droplets plopped on the white-haired. The new emperor blinked in response. She had seen Byleth cried before. When Jeralt died, the poor teacher was depressed the entire month. No matter how much she tried to distract herself from the distressing truth, Byleth would always cycle back to crying her eyes out for his abrupt assassination. Had it not been for the stern encouragements from Edelgard, the professor would have never left her bedroom or Jeralt’s room.

She closed her eyes and whispered, “Byleth, do not mourn for me… I will not die.”

It was not a lie in order to comfort her professor. It was the truth. If anything, she wanted to thank Byleth for healing her head injuries. She has saved her life continuously since they’ve first met. Just how many would this make right now? Perhaps they could count the number of occasions when she wakes up. For now, the drowsy spell had been cast. Edelgard had a smile on her face and fell into a deep slumber. Everything would be okay once she wakes up. 

This was a slumber she regrets.

She had woken up at her old dormitory room the next day. Hubert was there by her side by the time she got up from the bed. Aside from the mandatory gauze wrapped around her head, the emperor had sustained little to no noticeable injuries. (Save it for the small number of scars gained from battle.) The rest of Black Eagles came to greet her. Fortunately, all her comrades possess wounds that didn’t require them to be bedridden.

“Where’s Byleth?”

The silence was their answer. On that same day, she scrambled back to where they last fought with the Church of Seiros. No one in her squad was able to hold their lord back from returning to the deserted battlefield. 

“Teach… just disappeared.”

Caspar’s words haunted her. The young lady felt her chest become heavy as she saw toppled structures and pillars in front of the monastery. There were barely any walkable pathways from each pile of wreckage. Edelgard stiffened her lips.

“I tried looking for her after she brought you to us. I’m… I’m so sorry, Edelgard. I should’ve followed after her…”

Ferdinand’s words haunted her. Edelgard crouched to one of the rubbles. Then, she proceeded to move small blocks of concrete to the side. 

“I-I saw her running into the monastery. I wasn’t sure why.”

“She didn’t tell you, Bernadetta? Professor told me she spotted Rhea.”

Bernadetta’s and Lindhardt’s words haunted her. Dust flew up in the air with each block she moved. Edelgard wheezed as it tickled her nose.

“I’m afraid I was busy tending to your well-being.”

Hubert’s words haunted her. She began to dig through the thick slabs with her fingers. The blazing sun beating its rays does not help her futile efforts.

“Our professor has been a missing since then. I can only hope she can be alive.”

Petra’s words haunted her. Edelgard began to feel the tears incoming. She brushed any that dared leak upon her cheeks with her shoulder. The recovering female sniffled as grounded concrete were unintentionally scraped into her nails.

“All we can do is pray for Teach.”

Dorothea’s words haunted her. Edelgard increased her vigor and began to scrape through the fifth pile that day. The sweltering weather suffocated the female’s respiratory tract as sweat profusely poured out from her pores. She curled into a fetal position and shuddered. A choked sob escaped from her throat as the white-haired slowed her digging pace. She had no desire to hide the raw emotions that boiled violently underneath her stoic exterior. There was no one to witness, and there was no one to help her. 

“Byleth! Where are you?!”

The tears streamed down endlessly as the new lord weakly clawed at the dirtied pavement. She cried with the force of a person vomiting on all four. 

"Please, we need you!" she wailed. "I NEED YOU!"

Edelgard threw her head up.

"BYLETH!!!" 

It was a living nightmare. After Hubert and Dorothea brought their leader back to the monastery, both Petra and Lindhardt took the time to search the area in question. Optimistically, there were no shreds of evidence that pointed to their professor's death. However, no one knew where she was.

The question of Byleth's existence remained in her mind five years later. The emperor, now clad in royal red and bearing the crown of the Adrestian Empire, stood at the front entrance of the main military base, which originally was the Officer’s Academy. She stood tall and proud. The achievements were slow and bear a multitude of consequences, but she was steadily heading towards her original goal for the empire. It has been many years since she began the first successful revolt. Edelgard is certain that if a certain someone was here, she too would be amazed by how grown up everyone is.

A sigh. The young woman in her early 20s scanned the rural landscape outside of the premise. Not a soul peeped other than the silent soldiers and archers in the watchtowers. It was just Edelgard all on her own. It was a typical night for the emperor.

“How long will you keep me waiting, professor?”

Edelgard had waited here every single night since the day her professor and lover had disappeared. A search party accompanied the woman throughout Fodlan. Even if it meant risking the lives of her soldiers, mercenaries, and alumni, Edelgard led the hunt. Every single bit of information about the light green-haired adult and the Sword of Creator were gathered to the best of their abilities and scrutinized for any possible hint of Byleth’s location. It’s a pity that years of effort was unfruitful.

The grown adult felt her mouth go dry. It appears that tonight showcased the same exact result as the previous nights. She yearned for the day that she would get a different result. Hopefully, it won’t be filled with dread. Edelgard laments as a tear was shed from her left eye.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you cry.”

It has been five years since her search. None of the fruits bore on the tree. However, the warmth of the particular individual’s thumb that wiped away the streak of tear and mature tone sparked a flurry of emotions in Edelgard. There were so many questions that swirled around her head. How in the world did she bypass the guards? How was Edelgard unable to notice her? She whipped her head up only to be greeted with the sight of the person’s shoulder. Byleth had embraced the ex-house leader into a tight hug. Although the lord is not used to receiving such behavior from most anyone, the fact that it was her professor made her desire for this sort of touch. Edelgard soon trembled in Byleth’s grasp.

“How can you joke like this, Byleth?” she buried her face into the older female’s shoulder and blubbered. “Do… Do you even know how long I’ve had to wait?”

The corner of Byleth’s lips slowly curled upward as she pats Edelgard’s back. Faint “shhs” and “I’m here for you” came from the teacher’s direction while she slowly rocked her girlfriend left and right. 

“Byleth, I’ve been searching for you high and low where we last fought.”

“I know.”

“You know? How could you say that? I really went there every single day!”

“You did?”

“Yes! And when I couldn’t find you, Hubert had to stop me from storming into enemy territories to find you!”

“You know it’s not good to be reckless.”

“Oh really? Coming from someone who disappeared on me for five years, I bet that advice is valid.”

Byleth could not help but chuckle and squeezed Edelgard.

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

“What were you doing all of this time?”

“Sleeping.”

“…I hope you know I don’t find your jokes funny.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Well…” Edelgard parted from the hug and kept her hands on Byleth’s arms. Her gaze fell downward for a bit. She opened her mouth, but the words were caught in her voicebox. Compared to her authoritative composure, it was as if she reverted to her younger self. The ex-mercenary patted her significant other’s sides as she patiently waited for Edelgard to speak up. “I… I can see that you’re serious about that. We will have to look into it as soon as possible.”

Byleth nodded. “I… have much to tell you too that I have not told the Black Eagles about.”

“And you hid that from your girlfriend too?”

There goes that pout. Despite becoming a stoic leader, this private moment of theirs melted the stern features from Edelgard. Byleth cupped her face and quickly leaned in for a deep kiss. That caused the other to widen her eyes. Of course, Edelgard returned the favor once they parted, another kiss due. They were used to sharing brief kisses out in the public. The only times they’ve poured their emotions in this important exchange was after every battle. However, none of their romantic exchanges was anything like this.

Their eyes closed, the two shared one last kiss with each other. Edelgard and Byleth embraced each other into another tight hug. Now that her former student is slightly taller than her, the former teacher pressed her cheek against the emperor’s chest.

“I wasn’t sure how to explain it,” she answered. “I’m sorry. I should’ve had told you sooner.”

Edelgard ran her fingers through the bright locks. It felt as though time had momentarily ceased to progress for their sake. Perhaps they pitied the reunification that was much needed on both ends. As her nails gently scratched Byleth’s scalp, the lord nuzzled on her teacher’s head.

“I forgive you. All that matters is that you’ve returned.”

“Thank you.”

After standing there in peaceful silence for another minute, Byleth began to yawn in successions. Edelgard raised a brow.

“Byleth, are you feeling sleepy?”

“Yes.”

“…don’t you think sleeping for five years is enough?”

“Mm…”

“I hope you understand that the night is still young.”

Edelgard glanced over her shoulders. There she noticed something shiny… wait a minute, that twinkle… Is that… Ferdinand? The lord’s figure stiffened like cardboard at the sight of him. Once she had acknowledged his presence, she began to see many more pair of eyes gazing upon the two. The entire Black Eagles were watching their interaction. Edelgard internally groaned. Their gossips and interrogative questions would be unavoidable the next day, especially from Hubert. Hubert was unstoppable when it came to her business… He becomes even more terrifying with her love life. (The man tried to "remove" Byleth when he found out about their relationship with the other students.) She looked back to her girlfriend and planted a kiss on the nose. 

“I think we should head to my bedroom.”

Byleth stifled another yawn. 

“You’ve finally listened to my request, El.”

“I’m not going to have you sleep right away.”

“Then why are we—”

“Byleth, have I ever told you about my pent-up frustrations?”

"..." The ex-mercenary narrowed her eyes. “Where are you going with this…”

“Let’s just say I’m a little… hungry.”

Before the sleepy adult can ask any more unnecessary questions (was Byleth simply trolling her lover?), the young woman separated from Byleth. Edelgard dragged her mentor straight in the direction of her private quarter on the second floor. As she was the only resident in that part of the dormitory due to her status, she won’t have to worry about any prying eyes or ears. She was going to need that for tonight. Nothing wrong with having a large feast after waiting for five years, right?

Byleth had to say otherwise as she and Edelgard ended up sleeping right into the afternoon. Though Byleth tried to leave her partner's side, the naked emperor pulled her lover back to the bed. 

"You sure it's okay to take today off?" 

"I'm sure," Edelgard buried her face into Byleth's mounds. "It's wise to take days-off to replenish our stamina." 

"...you sure you aren't saying that because of last night?" 

"Do you REALLY want to go there?" 

They laughed it off and cuddled together. The two intertwined their fingers with each other under the sheets as their drowsiness brought them to another blissful dream. For Byleth, she was glad to return to Edelgard's side. For Edelgard, she was glad that Byleth had returned. No matter what happens in this war, the two are unbeatable when they are paired. 

A lot has happened in five years.

Five years since the Leicester Alliance, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Adrestian Empire waged war with each other.

Five years since Edelgard sparked war against the church.

Five years since the emperor ascended into power for the empire.

Five years since she found the very person she loved, Byleth.


End file.
